If being a Marine is so awesome, why is it that there are so many Marines that join the Army and Air Force?

After 9 years active I joined the reserves. 1977 and gas got so expensive I couldn't Fford to drive to the armory. The National Guard was 6 blocks from my house. I talked to the 1st Sgtbwho was glad to transfer me. He brought the papers out an said just sign here. I told him I couldn't. He ask me why. I told him, "That says Spec 6, I'm a SSgt. He retyped the papers and I signed.

Although i am not yet a marine. The answer is more of a physiological answer. Marines are the best of the best without a doubt. But their is a reason for that. Marines are like the neglected dog in the back yard with the shitty kennel in the mud. And gets the crappy dog food. Marines get all the left overs from all the other branches. And are expected to make due with what they have. And if they are not able todo their job the get bitched at. To answer this shortly. The marines isnt for everyone. Some people cant handle the expectations they are held to to keep that best of the best mentality. And the constant fuck fuck tricks that ncos and other higher ups are doing to the lower ranking soldiers.

For me it was a location issue. I wanted to got to college in my home town after my active duty time. There were no marine reserve units anywhere near Fargo ND so I joined my local ANG unit. However, a few years ago the Marines came to Wahpeton ND but too late for me, I'm retired from the Guard now. My son is considering it though.

I served with several prior Marines in an ANG engineer unit when we were in Iraq. I was a former 11B paratrooper, and we were all told that MONG engineers was the “closest to being in the infantry” that the MO guard had. My fireteam leader was a prior Marine in friggin Beruit, Lebanon when the Barreks got bombed by a VBIED back in the day. We all realized that we loved serving, we just didn’t love all the bs that came with being in the Regular Army/Marines. Just my two cents.

Earning the title of US Marine was an accomplishment that can never be equaled. I have many things in my life that I am very proud of in addition to being a Marine. If I had decided to join another branch after completing my hitch in the corps, it would not have diminished the pride I feel having served with the finest warriors on the planet! I think the question is a very narrow minded and disrespectful one. The Marine Corps will always be great regardless of what some do following a tour. People cross over to different branches from all of the branches for many personal reasons.

There are many reasons Marines join other branches. Some got out and what the wanted in the USMC as a profession there was no boat space but found it in another branch can be one example. Other times they just want a change and found that in another branch.

To all that say better pay and benefits you are wrong!! One branch does not pay better than another and the benefits are the same. Your pay grade determines your pay and your MOS may get you a few extra benefits but the medical, dental and college benefits are the same. With that said there maybe more Marines in other services and it may be attributed to the corps not having some MOSs that others have. Also once a Marine yo no longer have to go to any other services basic training and normally you will join with a higher or equivalent rank you had on the Corps. Others desiring to earn the title must go through recruit training regardless of paygade or time in their previous service. Those may be a few of the reasons Marines get out and join other services.

You'll have to join to find out.

The short answer is because the Marines is a young mans game and we get old, especially when you come from combat arms MOS's. I'm so glad I started out in the Marines, but after all that time as an infantry Marine, it took it's toll on me. However, I wanted to keep serving, and being from Texas with all my state pride, I decided to do so time in Texas Army National Guard. I remember one time a Soldier walked into the office while three of us standing there, all with 1st Mar Div combat patches when he ask us, "why do so many Marines come over to the National Guard?" One of the Soldiers that came from the Marines gave a great answer. He said because the Marine Corps is like the NFL and the Army is like the NBA, and you don't see to many 40 something year olds in the NFL.

No Air Force member has ever said “I should have joined another branch ever”.